facilities for kids hy guys im new to this site ,can anyone help me ??myself and family are travelling to the crown paradise club from scotland in july 2006.we were given a letter today to say that some of the facilities are closed .can anyone advise me if the rumbero bar,fifties and la piazza are open and if still lots for my kids 10/11 to do .i am getting a bit worried as its so close to holiday .thanks glen and tina :evil:
Hmm, I was just there in April and they were all closed. They didn't appear to be making a concerted effort to finishing these areas. I would say they still may be closed. But hope you get a surprise and there open!
Re: facilities for kids Glen/Tina, When are you travelling and who with? We are booked through First Choice and have heard nothing from them about the ongoing works. I have a gut feeling this is going to spoil our honeymoon! Duncan
Just got back from CPC, stay was from 6/1 to 6/5 My observations for anyone that's interested: Trip was mostly good, except for XCaret, that was a disaster. But the ocean and the pools at CPC were so nice, weather was perfect except for 1 morning it rain a bit, but cleared by 10 or so. My son and I had great fun swimming (and ya we swam in the ocean, no "sea lice", was nice). CPC: I was a tad disappointed. The buffet is reloc'd in a conference center room, big, but mostly very stuffy, esp with the cooking exhaust not vented (got so sick of the smell of that place by day 3, it was hard to go in). Was really the only breakfast place. Food at the Japanese place was prob the best thing we had there. Wayne's Boots was pretty good, tho my wife's steak was like rubber, my jaw hurt after she gave me some to eat. Who figured that place out?- We sat upstairs, the waiters had to go up and down the stairs with everything, all night. That's insane, really. Drinks, well, they go a bit light on the actual alcohol. My wife drinks Margerita's, I'll usually drink gin or vodka on the rocks. Her drinks were all good, but no kick to them at all. Mine, I got tired of asking for a double (they put like 1 oz of gin over ice, it's a glass of mostly ice, ice water, and a smidge of gin), so then I would just ask for 2 drinks, and pour 1 into the other, that was still short, but better. I switched to beer the last couple days, was just easier. Other things that didnt sit well with me: Checking in - desk people about as friendly as the staff in any Burger King. And it's "This is your key cards, loose them and it will cost $$$ to replace, and if you get them wet and they dont work, it's $$$ to reissue them. Here's your towel cards, loose them and it's $$$ a card. Here's your safe key loose it and it's $80 to replace it...." on and on. Real helpful stuff. One keycard did fail to work properly after about 3 days, and I took good care of them, never wet or anything. We got 2 towel stolen off our pool chair on day 1. I go to the desk and he's "They're your responsibility, you need to get them back." I laugh and say "OK, and how do I do that?" He had no answer, just that I need to get them back. Jackass. So what do I do? - I go steal 2 towels from an the desk near the inside pool when the attendent walks away. I kept 1 keycard as a souviener. Keycards for towels, that's just stupid. And if you need dry ones, exchange them before later in the day, as they run out. The elevators: Hot, stuffy, slow, and usually accompanied by a small swarm of mosquitos. Look at the walls in there, smashed mosquitos all over. Mosquitos in general, not real bad, but they're everywhere. Out at the pool at night be esp careful. Also opening your hotel door, watch as there's usually 1 or 2 right near the door and you suck them in when you open it. Put a towel at the bottom of your door at night, there's at least a 3/4 inch gap down there and they fly right in and eat you all night. Sliding glass door does not lock (at least ours didnt, not broken, just no lock in the door frame). Since you kinda share a balcony (there's a partition, but if you had a mind to you could get over easy) that's not good. I go to the "Information Desk" on day 2, ask if they have more info on the restaurant there, times and menu type stuff (my kids are way picky eaters), and the girl says "Didnt the desk tell you when you checked in that you're welcome to a breakfast in the mexican restrnt, and we'll explain all about the hotel, everything". Since we're on our way to breakfast at the time, I think that's great, I grab everyone and we go. Well I realize quite quickly into it that this "information breakfast" is a not that, but a time-share push. We eat the food, which was good, go see the rooms, listen politely for the next 40 mins about how all this can be mine for as little as $11,900 and a maintence cost here and staying cost there and blah blah blah. Clever, they seperate the kids and have them make a necklace and stuff 2 tables away so they're not interrupted with the sales pitch. Information about the hotel, activities and restrnts? Thanks folks. And at check out- it's "I need your safe key, ok, and your towel cards, ok, and...." Not "So how was your stay?" or "Did you enjoy yourself here?" Nothing at all. Not one inquiry about anything about our stay, nothing. Just a sense of "gives us back our stuff". Teen area closed, and very little in activities exclusively for teens to compensate. Teens seem to just wander around mostly. My 13 yr old daughter was a royal pain in the butt the entire time. There's a whole story there in itself. What we liked: The pools outside were great. I got my 10 yr old son into the kiddy pool thing once, had to talk him into it, and he loved it in there, but then couldnt get him to go back in. Hard to blame him, as it was mostly like 5 yr olds. He said he felt funny. But we swam and played in the ocean and pools and it was great. Ocean was just beautiful. Found some fairly nice shells, but not in the surf, had to scrap them out of the edge of the replaced sand wall. No shark's teeth at all, and we looked and looked. The shows at night we pretty good, not great, but good (again - mosquitos in there and it's dark so good luck). We went every night except the night we spent in the Hell called XCaret. And then we'd watch the movie. Hah, another thing, the TV there for the movie is a projection TV, and the red electron gun is shot, so the picture is green, like black and white and green. I tell the desk about it, they say "Yes we know, it'll be getting fixed soon." Yeah well, not while we were there. It was all green. King Kong in green, Harry Potter in green. You get use to it. Entertainment staff, they were good, funny and amusing. Those guys work like 12 hr days. I could go on, but that's enough I guess. All that makes it sound like I'm hard to please or something and that is truly not the case. We've been to some nice hotels and resorts, so have a reference to compare by. Everyone we talked to there were in the same mindset as us, it's ok, but surely does not live up to it's rating. Here's a shock: For the folks that really like CPC, next time you stay there , go out to the beach, make a right and go into the hotel next door, the G.R. Solaris. WOW is it nice. We went just to go in the shops, but my jaw dropped. All self service stuff at the pool (brand name soda fountain, all kinds of food), no waiting in line for a bartender to give you a diet coke that's something like Diet Coke but not quite. Beautiful restrnts right there at the pool, food looked way, way better then was I was eating. We walked around there, went to the shops (2) inside, which were nicer than CPC, was impressed. Not sure about the $$ of staying, but was a real shock. Walking back into CPC, it was a dump by comparison (the wife's words exactly). Happy to answer any questions, email me at cjjohnson@co.ocean.nj.us
travelers from scotland there are other restaraunts open.....Los Gallos (mexican), Waynes Boots (steakhouse, filet is best choice other cuts a little tough) Fishermans (seafood....my fav) and the main buffet. When we were there in April they had it in the main Palapa in the rear of the hotel facing the ocean. Hopefully it will be there again when you return and not in the conference room. My son 12 had no trouble finding friends and something to do the entire trip. Activities in pool include, volleyball, water polo, basketball, water aerobics. Plus they offer beach walks, bike tours, bingo, trivia, dance lessons. Pool area has food very close by for lunch...subs, wings, nuggets, fries, nachos, japanese.... Bar....never had trouble with weak drinks, just ask for a little more alcohol in them. I don't like mine strong, this way I can drink more. Shows at night are a little ify at best. The Mexican show is best. The bring in locals to dance for you. Bar in lobby nice in the evening, you can relax while the kids run through the game room and/or watch a movie. I am sure by the time you go in July more will be open. Email the hotel direct for updated information. Have fun!
Re: travelers from scotland [quote Email the hotel direct for updated information. [/quote] Thanks for the positive input - much appreciated. Does anyone have an email address which will reach the hotel - I have one for reserv@ but the 3 emails i've sent so far I haven't had a reply to... I put this down to the new website etc and maybe some related tech problems.
crown paradise Yes! Thank you for the positive in put. We love it there. We have been there 4 times with this Dec being the 5th. I would also love to have their new email if anyone has it that would be great!!!
Re: crown paradise I am curious when was the last time you were at crown paradise? I've been reading some poor reviews on another web site, I'm starting to wonder if this place is worth going to? Or even mexico at that....
OMG! what other web site??? We were there last July just before the hurricane. Please let me know what you have heard. To be honest according to this web site i have heard good and bad We go in Nov and i have been in July all times have been great except the mattresses in the rooms are real thin and after a week you cannot wait for your bed back lol. I honestly do not know after the hurricane last summer please feel free to e mail any info thanks.
